Bubble Lead (バブルリード,Baburu Rīdo?) is Bubble Man's Special Weapon. When equipped by Mega Man, he shoots a heavy bubble that rolls around on the ground. These bubbles have high attack power and can be used to locate traps in the ground.

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Video game appearances

The Bubble Lead is obtained by Mega Man after defeating Bubble Man. If used against Bubble Man in the Wily Castle, it will replenish all of his health. Bubble Lead can also scale down walls, but can only do so if the bubble is rolling on the ground in the first place. It can also be used to detect traps in the floor of the fourth Wily Castle stage.

Bubble Lead is Heat Man's weakness, but he is immune to it when he's fully ignited or when using his fire charge attack. It is also the only weapon that can damage the Alien, as all other weapons will fully replenish its health.

The Bubble Lead, alongside all weapons from the first three games, can be used in the Wily Tower mode. It is most effective against Buster Rod G and Fire Snakey. Buster Rod G is immune to it in the second battle against him. Hyper Storm. H and the first two phases of the Wily Machine are also immune to it.

The Bubble Lead is the second weapon that Mega Man acquires, but this weapon, alongside Atomic Fire, are the only ones that are obtained in different methods besides defeating the boss:

If Mega Man proceeds by the ground, he will meet Guts Man, who informs him that he found Bubble Man inactive and took his Bubble Lead chip for Mega Man. Later, Heat Man attacks Mega Man, and he is vulnerable to Bubble Lead. In the scene after the battle, Mega Man uses Bubble Lead to defeat Heat Man.

If Mega Man proceeds by the river, he faces Bubble Man underwater and obtains the Bubble Lead after defeating him. After leaving the river, Mega Man meets Guts Man, who says that he found Heat Man defeated and took his Atomic Fire chip for Mega Man.

Other media

Mega Man copies the Bubble Lead in issue 9, where it is stated that the bubbles are comprised of sulphuric acid. In the following issue it is used to defeat Heat Man. Mega Man later managed to copy it from Bubble Man again, after Guts Man restrained him. After Doc Robot was outfitted with the IC chips as well as weapons data of the second-generation Robot Masters, it attempted to use Bubble Lead on Roll and Dr. Light, with him narrowly missing due to Dr. Light shoving Roll out of the way.

The Bubble Lead is only seen being used by Bubble Man. The Bubble Lead alters the electromagnetic field to create a strong hydrogen bond between water molecules, which results in the formation of a large bubble. A bit of sulfuric acid is added to these bubbles, which not only makes them more dangerous, but also results in greater pliancy and keeps their water content from evaporating as easily as normal bubbles.

Other appearances

Screenshots

Trivia

There has been some debate over the weapon's real name. Some say it is pronounced led, as in a lead pencil, signifying that the bubble contains heavy lead and explaining the way it falls when it reaches an edge. Others say it is pronounced leed, as in leading a horse to water, signifying that the bubble leads Mega Man as it travels along in front of him, and in fact can be used to find the hidden floors in one of the Wily stages in Mega Man 2. The Japanese name of the weapon is pronounced in this latter way, as can be seen in, for instance, in its Super Adventure Rockman appearance.